trade up

verb

traded up; trading up; trades up

intransitive verb

1
: to trade in (something, such as an automobile) for something more expensive or valuable of its kind
2
: to stock or purchase higher-priced items

Examples of trade up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Heat traded up to acquire Conwell, 22, with the 37th overall selection in the second round of this year’s draft in June. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 The stocks have recovered a bit since then and were trading up on Tuesday. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 Their union was crucial to the decision to trade up to select Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft and continues to be a distinct force in the success of the Chiefs. — Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026 In April, Poles felt the excitement from his scouting staff about van den Berg and eagerly traded up in Round 6 of the draft to grab him. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trade up

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of trade up was in 1905

Rhymes for trade up

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Browse Nearby Words

trade unionist
trade up
tradevman
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Cite this Entry

“Trade up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade%20up. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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